A conventional optical component used for optical communication is shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B.
A light-receiving element module or a light-emitting element module shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B comprises: metallic cap 1; lens 2 bonded to metallic cap 1; metal base 3 on which a chip is mounted; external draw-out electrode 4 for connection from a main face of metal base 3 to a back face; low melting-point glass 5 for hermetically sealing external draw-out electrode 4 to metal base 3; light-emitting element or light-receiving element 6 (e.g., LED, PD); and metal wire 7 for electrically connecting an electrode of element 6 to external draw-out electrode 4.
As metallic cap 1 and metal base 3, an alloy such as Fe—Ni—Co having a plating of Ni—Au or the like on the surface is used for preventing oxidization. Metallic cap 1 and metal base 3 are hermetically sealed by resistance welding. The sealed and air-tight interior is substituted by nitrogen or vacuumed so that age deterioration of light-emitting element or light-receiving element 6 is prevented.
However, the above conventional optical component hermetically seals each external draw-out electrode 4 to metal base 3 and thus requires a hole through which external draw-out electrode 4 penetrates. As a result, providing the through hole caused a cost increase, and filling of low melting-point glass 5 into the hole caused a further cost increase for manufacturing metal base 3.
Furthermore, the above conventional optical component uses metal wire 7 for electrically connecting an electrode of light-emitting element or light-receiving element 6 to external draw-out electrode 4. Due to the inductance of metal wire 7 and stray capacitance, high frequency signal transmission or high speed signal transmission is difficult.